This invention relates generally to apparatus for removing extraneous gaseous matter from water, and more particularly to a novel and improved scrubber/degasser apparatus for removing extraneous gaseous matter from water used as ingredient water in beverage production.
While the scrubber/degasser apparatus of the invention may be useful in other applications, description of the invention will be facilitated by specific reference to the problem of removal of extraneous gaseous matter (primarily air and oxygen) from water used in beverage production and processing. In the beverage industry, it is often desirable to remove extraneous gaseous matter from the water to promote increased stability of the beverage during mixing or proportioning thereof and especially during the filling process, as well as during storage prior to consumption. In particular, in the filling process, extraneous air and/or oxygen in the beverage cause excessive "foaming" in some beverage products. Such foaming makes accurate, high-speed filling of individual containers difficult or impossible.
Moreover, the presence of excess air and/or oxygen in the beverage can cause premature deterioration and instability of the beverage following filling or packaging thereof. Such premature deterioration and instability greatly decreases the shelf life of the packaged product. This is particularly true of fruit juice products which are generally produced from a juice concentrate which is reconstituted by dilution to the desired concentration with water.
In the prior art, the problems of foaming and stability were addressed by controlling the pressure of the product during preparation and filling and also by cooling the product to maintain such pressure control and to promote beverage stability. However, modern containers and high-speed filling apparatus permit and in fact require higher pressures to be utilized to increase filling line efficiency. Moreover, cooling equipment is relatively expensive and energy-intensive. That is, cooling equipment is relatively expensive to produce, install and maintain, and is also expensive to operate due to its relatively high energy consumption characteristics. Hence, cooling in high-speed beverage production is not only relatively cumbersome and expensive but may also fail to achieve the desired stability of the beverage during filling in some instances.
My above-referenced co-pending application describes a novel and advantageous scrubbing apparatus for removing extraneous gaseous matter, and particularly air and oxygen, from ingredient water used in beverage production. This application is directed to improvements upon the apparatus disclosed in my aforesaid co-pending application.